27. Coming Clean
CHAPTER 27
Coming Clean
Rez
I tumble out of the barrier—with a few minutes to spare—in distress, to say the least, and Knox wastes no time, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder. One second I see my friends in front of me with looks of concern and relief on their faces, and the next, I have Knox’s firm ass bouncing in front of me.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for looking at my current view. It’s a nice view. But what I just experienced makes everything else pale in existence.
I’m finally set down on a carpet and get a look around our safe house, though it’s more or less ruins than anything else. A few walls and pillars are attached, and the roof is completely gone, but the carpet is soft and plush, so I’m not complaining. Moni darts off in a frenzy, zig-zagging here and there until she calls out that she’s found the note stating we only have four hours of rest before our next trial.
It doesn’t surprise me that it’s a shorter amount of time since our last trial wasn’t so physically draining. It was more eye-opening than anything else.
“Look here,” Zeke calls, and I slowly get up and follow everyone to his side.
From our ruined safe house without the need for windows, we can see our next level clearly, and by the look of it, I can understand why they call it despair. If you added an Alfred Hitchcock movie, a Stephen King setting, and a graveyard atmosphere, then mixed them together, you would get Despair. As we take in the next level, a ghost of an elf glides across our path, and I watch as I see something bloody start to pull itself out of the ground. Nope…I’m done.
Turning around, I find my pack and sit back on the carpet, giving Reaper some food and water. It’s quiet as everyone joins me and they also get a snack and try to relax.
“So, does anyone want to talk about what happened in The Caverns?” JP brings up hesitantly. It’s crickets for a moment before he sighs. “Because you’re all mentally shouting at me about it, and it’s going to drive me nuts,” he proclaims.
“Good point. I might as well start,” Zeke concedes. “Well, I discovered that I’m a clown at heart because it counteracts the darker need of my necromancer side, which is a control freak. The side that also craves death, destruction, and control. The practical jokes, teasing, and laughing that I do is what helps balance me,” he confesses, giving us a lopsided grin.
JP scoots closer, pulling Zeke into his body and kissing his temple. “And we love all aspects of you.”
“I know!” Zeke chuckles as his face and neck turn a bright red.
I’m halfway listening as I’m pulled back to my own revelation of the Sulks and the Rebels being a part of me or I a part of them. Reaper crawls into my lap and licks my face as I attempt to catch most of everyone’s confessions.
Levi is ultimately scared of failing, so he compensates and tries to control everything. Knox is a murderer. When he fights, he turns off all emotions, so he becomes a killing machine and does it with efficiency. Moni is a coffee addict who can power all the realms with how much she drinks, along with being chaos in a small package. We all chuckle at her admission, already knowing this about her.
Knots is inconsiderate and gives up too easily for the things he wants. Chester is a romantic and a yes-man. JP is scared of commitment and sticking to one thing. Lynx doesn’t know who he is without me.
“I constantly feel dirty,” Ryker spits out. “The only thing that makes me feel good is collecting knowledge. Reading, learning how to fight better, anything that increases…ugh.” He growls in frustration. “I have a dark soul that I’ll never get rid of.” He plops down on the carpet, and I look up at everyone around me.
No one has said anything about anyone else’s comments besides the chuckle for Moni, but they all look defeated as they lie around the carpet, and they shouldn’t be.
“I know what you’re all thinking,” I begin. “You’re all thinking that what you just shared are the worst parts of you, and I hate to break to you, but they might be. We’re in Hell, and it is Hell’s job to bring out our worst, but that doesn’t make you YOU! Levi, you’re our leader. Our most logical person here because you don’t want to fail. You’re going to look at all the possibilities and decide which one is going to work the best,” I point out and smirk at him.
Turning, I look at my Alpha and shoot love down our link. “Knox, you might call yourself a murderer, but I don’t, and your family doesn’t. You fight with efficiency to keep us alive and safe . Turning off those emotions to help you think clearly does not make you a murderer, and I won’t have my mate thinking that again. Do you hear me?” I purse my lips and glare at my mate. I only get a slight tug at his lips in return, but I consider it a win.
“Moni and Chester, you guys are perfect for each other. Moni needs a yes-man for all the shit she’s been through, and you can never go wrong with romance for her,” I tell the couple as I see them snuggling in close.
Looking at Knots next, I narrow my eyes and purse my lips, and he gives me a pitiful look. “I have so much baggage with you that I’m waiting at a damn airport terminal. You are inconsiderate, but you also give yourself to those whom you deem worthy to protect. As for giving up too easily for the things you want, I’m not sure what you mean by that, but I suggest working on that. Maybe this is a come-to-Jesus moment in the bowels of Hell—how ironic that is—so learn from it. But it’s not the end of the world.”
Before Knots can fire back at me and start World War III, I turn to JP. “JP, I have to ask. Are you scared of commitment with me and the guys or something else?” JP’s eyes widen, and he’s quick to answer.
“Oh shit. No. I don’t mean in our relationship. I mean in other things, like my painting or decorating, or cooking, or sewing. When it comes to picking a profession and claiming to go to Earth, I have no idea,” he declares, throwing his hands in the air, almost hitting Zeke.
“JP, relax. Obviously, things are different between Purgatory and Earth, but you’re allowed to like different things on Earth. Most people don’t stick with the same job forever there. Hell, most people are lucky to stick with the same job for a year. Having all of your interests is a good thing; you’ll be able to try out a lot of things, and if it’s not a job, we call them hobbies on Earth, and you can still do them,” I explain, trying to calm him down.
“Really?” I nod and smile as he leans and eases back into Zeke’s embrace.
“As for you, Lynx. You should know who you are without me.” I gently move Reaper out of my lap and plop down in Lynx’s lap, allowing him to wrap me in his arms. “You are the same person you are with me. Strong, funny, versatile, and indestructible. If anything, I am nothing without you. I fell apart when you were taken away. You are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
“Thank you, Rezzi-bear, but you’ve been my whole world for so long, I really don’t know any other way.” He squeezes me and lightly kisses my lips.
“Then I’ll have to show you a different way and make you believe,” I gently nip at his jaw, making him laugh.
I lean into him and turn to face Ryker, who is on the other side of Lynx. Ryker’s admission that he constantly feels dirty and has a dark soul bothers me. There’s nothing wrong with wanting knowledge and seeking it out when he can. I don’t know where this is coming from, but I need to set him straight.
“Have you ever considered that the emptiness you feel is the Fae side of you?” Ryker’s brows furrow in thought, and it’s clear he has no idea what I’m talking about. “Remember the first time we met?” I smirk, reminiscing the time I ruined his sexy time with Red-heeled Barbie. “I was sitting in your study reading a very fascinating book about the origins of the Supernatural Creatures. You are Pestilence. Out of everyone, you supposedly have the darkest soul,” I explain, using air quotes and rolling my eyes. “And you’ll want to constantly conquer. I think it stated something about no land, power, or knowledge would be enough. Does that sound familiar?” I cock an eyebrow as the light bulb clicks on, and he grins at me, feeling better about that side of him.
Hell, even I feel lighter when I see everyone appear more serene until Moni innocently opens her big fat stinkin’ mouth. “What about you, bestie?”
I unconsciously flinch in Lynx’s lap, and he tightens his hold around my waist. My breathing slightly increases as I break out into a cold sweat, recalling my time in my tunnel. The last piece that I didn’t want to be true. It couldn’t be. Even if all the clues point to that last fact, I don’t want to accept it. If I could only will back time for seven seconds and swallow up Moni, I would do it in a heartbeat. Or maybe just permanently silence her; that would be fan-fucking-tab-u-lous.
‘You okay, Rezzi-bear?’ Lynx asks, running his thumb along my forearm as I try to relieve my rapidly burning lungs to some semblance of calm.
‘No. I’m not even close,’ I admit.
“It’s okay, Kitten,” Knox coaxes as he squeezes between Lynx and Moni and Chester. “We won’t judge you, just like you didn’t judge us.” I almost snort at his statement.
It’s not because he’s wrong that I didn’t judge him; it’s the fact that they wouldn’t be able to help but judge. It’s like stating you’re related to Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, or Lady Bluebird.
“Hmph. How rude! We were here first,” Moni pouts, pulling me out of my freakout. Chester squeezes her tight against his chest as he slides over, making more room for Knox.
“It’s okay. Rez needs Knox more right now, but you still have me,” Chester mutters, and Moni quickly giggles.
Knowing I can’t escape my fate, I blow out a breath and bow my head. If I’m going to say this, I can’t look at them while I admit it.
“I was struggling, looking for my last piece. It was for my right hand, and all the pieces I could find just wouldn’t work. Either it was already used, or I was the problem, and I couldn’t accept them for whatever reason,” I admit, letting out another sigh. Reaper crawls and snuggles back into my lap, and I wrap my arms around his flames as my body soaks in his heat. “This little guy was the one that found the missing piece. It wasn’t a part of any of the mirrors that we saw on our way through the level, so I had no idea what to expect when Reaper brought it to me. But…seeing the tattoo of the Rebels on my wrist with Sulks in my right palm…wasn’t it.”
No one says anything, an uncomfortable pause settling into my gut as my fears or their judgment sets in. Finally, I take a moment to look up, finding everyone motionless. “Ha. Ha. Very funny,” I deadpan, giving the group a hurt look. Most wear expressions of shock, while Levi has a calculating look on his face. “You’re going to give me a complex,” I tell him, and he doesn’t say anything…or blink. Releasing my hold on Reaper, I’m shocked to notice him not moving either, as if he’s frozen in place. I lift him and set him down beside me, but he doesn’t blink, bark, breathe, or anything.
What the hell? I stand up, looking around the group and realizing that everyone except me is frozen solid. Grabbing Levi’s phone next to him, I watch his clock app and realize that even time on his device has stopped.
“Hello!” I call out while searching the area to make sure we’re alone.
Yep! Now I’m the dumb bimbo who calls out in Horror B-Movie.
Who’s powerful enough to stop time? My hands slip close to my glaives just in case whoever froze my family makes themselves known. We’re in a safe house, so you would think we would be, you know, safe, but then again, this is Hell. Keeping my back toward my friends, I scan the perimeter and jump at every little sound. Well, I guess that solves the question that time isn’t frozen for everyone, just my group since I can still hear things outside the house. The moans from the Despair level cause the fine hairs on my arms to rise, and I desperately wish my friends to wake up from this damn nightmare. After my second round of circling the desolate ruin, I finally determine that whoever decided to freeze time is just fucking with me.
Sitting back down in Lynx’s lap, I let myself get angry. I was scared and nervous before about how they would react to me being a part of The Sulks, but now I’m just pissed. How dare someone or something take away my time with my mates.
Freeze time…my ass. Undo it and bring back my boys and bestie. I want them back! I mentally shout, burying my head into Reaper’s stiff body.
Without warning, Reaper wiggles, and I hear the chaos shortly after. “Are you serious?”
“Like, The Sulks? ”
“Rebels?”
“Hot damn!”
“Holy Boa Bubble Tea Leaves!”
“And I thought mine was bad.”
I’m not even upset with their reactions; I’m just so happy they are unstuck that I burst into tears.
“Oh, Ma Chérie, no. Don’t cry,” JP says, rushing over and rubbing my back. “We didn’t mean it.”
“She’s relieved, not upset. I can feel it through our link, but I’m confused as to why,” Knox explains.
I gently push JP back as I wipe away my tears to explain. “I was originally nervous about how you would react, but now I’m just happy you’re reacting,” I say through my laughter.
Eight sets of eyes are staring at me. I’m sure it would be nine if I looked over my shoulder at Lynx. “Something just happened. After I told you guys, I looked up and found you guys frozen,” I tell them, explaining what all I did until they were unfrozen and why I’m happy crying.
“Any idea of what could make time freeze like that?” Knots throws out.
Levi plays with the cuff links I made for him that he now has on his corset as he thinks, and Ryker runs his hands through his hair.
“I don’t know of any creatures off the top of my head that I have read about recently,” Ryker replies.
Levi purses his lips, and his hazel eyes narrow on me for a moment before they go wide with an idea. He sits up straight and puts his hands in his lap, freaking me the hell out.
“Not even the strongest Warlock or Witch can freeze time like you described. Some can teleport with runes as we did for the ingredients in Hell, but Ryker is right,” he tells us, and I find myself somewhat shrinking with disappointment into Lynx at his words. “No creature can stop time. But—” His hazel eyes turn a bright green. “A Fate can.”
Well, Fates, get in line and bring the lube. Hell is already fucking us.